Watching the Fig Tree Guest post by Linda Yezek

Whenever I read how the scientific community explains the plagues against Egypt described in Exodus, I have to giggle. They have a logical explanation of how each plague happened through nature, through natural process, then they reach the conclusion that because the plagues happened naturally, there is nothing miraculous about them. There is no God. The ancients just created a god to explain what they couldn’t through their limited knowledge.

In other words, the scientists jump to the wrong conclusion. They just don’t get it.

Whether or not it’s true that the plagues were natural phenomena, I don’t know. But even if it were true, it would prove there is a God, not the other way around. The God who created all has all of creation at his disposal for his use.

Of the multitude of lessons one could learn from this episode in history, the top of the list is that God uses his creation for his purpose–which is usually to get our attention. This truth is why we should pay attention to the changing weather patterns, the increase in earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes, the beaching of whales and dolphins, and the host of other oddities, caused by both nature and governments, that seem to be galloping toward us like an angry Quarter Horse.

Christians are required to watch, to recognize the signs of the times we’re in. “Learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near–at the doors” (Mt 24:32-33). Because we don’t know when he’s coming back, we’re required to watch and to be prepared, with our “oil lamps” full. He tells us in his word what to watch for.

The Pharisees and Sadducees of his era were supposed to be watching for him. Those who made a career of studying the Scriptures should have recognized him and received him joyously. Instead, they asked for a sign. Remember what he said?

“When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red;’ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Mt 16:2-3).

It’s time to watch. Time to pay attention to the signs. Time to refill your oil lamp. Perhaps what we’re seeing today is just “the beginning of sorrows,” or perhaps it’s the escalation of “birth pains,” but because we don’t know the day or the hour, we must remain in a state of preparedness.

Are you ready?

~~~~~

Linda wrote this post for us as part of her first anniversary promotional campaign and giveaway for her novel, Give the Lady a Ride. In this contemporary western romance, the main character, Patricia Talbert, is a Christian who needs to return to her first love. Linda cleverly arranges for the reunion to occur on the back of a bull. Although the story is fiction, the fact that God welcomes all his prodigal children home with open arms isn’t.

To learn the rules of her giveaway, visit 777 Peppermint Place, then come back and leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing.

Linda’s Blog

http://amzn.to/xTNs4N

Giveaway Link:

http://bit.ly/yp85eN

Linda Yezak lives with her husband and three cats in a forest in Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She is a two-time finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, in 2008 for Give the Lady a Ride, a contemporary western comedy romance, published in 2011, and in 2010 for The Cat Lady’s Secret, a Women’s Fiction comedy-drama. She has been published in Christian Romance, Beyondaries, and Vibrant Nation e-zines, has served as a judge in several national and local writing contests, and is currently a freelance editor and a consulting editor for Port Yonder Press.

Guest Post by Joana James: Why I write YA

My love for writing met my love for youth about two years ago and formed an inseparable bond. For approximately six years, I worked with my church youth department helping to mentor and lead teens. When I decided to take my writing seriously, teens found their way into my books quite naturally.

I’ve seen several situations unfold before me where I’ve had to offer advice and a shoulder to lean on. These situations often find their way into my books.  Reaching out to teens through my writing is my number one goal.

For me, being able to tell the stories of those who find it difficult to do so themselves is quite rewarding. I love to tell the stories of those who may be hurting or are forgotten. With every story, my hope is that some young person may find enlightenment or, they may just find the answer to a question they found difficult to ask.  If I could touch just one life, prevent one suicide and encourage one person, my job is done.

Nightmare at Emerald High may seem a bit controversial with its subject matter being secret societies and organizations, but in the society that I live, it’s an everyday thing. Our children get tangled up in so many things that warp their thinking and confuse them and their perception of good and evil and right and wrong.  My hope is that Nightmare at Emerald High will be an eye opener for both parents and teens.

I will never stop writing for teens or young adults. They hold a special place in my heart because I’ve seen their daily struggles. Several times society has written off those who seem to be going astray instead of reaching out to them. My goal is simply to reach out a hand through my writing.

Book Title: Nightmare at Emerald High

Biography: Joana James is a young Christian author from the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. She is an I.T. professional by day but in her free time she escapes from the logical world of technology into the artistic world. She is an avid reader and her kindle is her favourite piece of technology.  Music is her best friend and that manifests itself through her love for dance and singing.

Joana writes stories that portray the reality of her world. Her first book, a two-part short story series called Rise from the Ashes featured the lives of two young girls struggling in dire circumstances.

Her latest book, Nightmare at Emerald High, brings to the fore a world that everybody knows exists but no one talks about.

Book Genre:Christian Thriller

Book Synopsis: Malcolm Drake is one year away from the end of high school when a tantalizing scholarship offer comes his way. Malcolm and several other classmates eagerly join a program called Alternative Science that promises to open their minds to new ways of thinking and of course, help them win that scholarship. Little do they know that this program would change their lives forever. The class is riddled with eerie séances, encounters with spirit guides and a slow desensitization of the teens towards everything evil until they become completely entangled in the world of the occult.
With the program being run by the town’s most influential people, the kids have a hard time getting out. Things take a turn for the worst when Malcolm is summoned to his school where he is bound and drugged in an effort to convince him to remain in the program. Will good prevail over evil?

Website:  http://joanajames.blogspot.com

Purchase links:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006HMJQQ4  Available both in ebook and paperback format.

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: December 3, 2011

For Such a Time As This

 

http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Weak-Revelation-Special-ebook/dp/B006H9NSAW

Hadassah is an Israeli-American prepared for much more than just high school and hanging out. Her family follows Jesus Christ and looks forward to the Second Coming as earthquakes rock New York. World events, especially a rise in the number of kidnaps, and the special targeting of the types of victims, point to the end times. Some of the beliefs presented in this book about the end times and about the gifts God is using in His Church are not my beliefs, but there is an old saying, “good men can differ.”

The book covers the formation of the Revelation Special Ops, the “Elite of the Weak” of the title. The name comes from I Corinthians 1:27, God using the weak to confound the mighty. Weak also means meek, and the team’s mission is to create servants of God who combine the best of humility and strength for the task. The way they respond to the expected and unexpected situations in which they find themselves is very impressive.

I liked the fact that members and trainees range in age from Hadassah, who joins around age seventeen, to others in their forties. I also liked the fact that this book is filled with Scriptures and prayers, as well as danger and adventure trying to locate and rescue kindnapped family members and others. Hadassah’s amazing and unintentional “dry run” in Africa proves her mettle, though all the members bring skills, plus the need for further training, to the team.

My favorite character was Hadassah’s mother. I want her on my side in a crisis, and every day, in fact.

How Do I Fit In?

 

Review of Henrietta Hexagon and the Triangles by Mandi Tillotson Williams (link to her facebook page)

My kids are all in their twenties, but I have been a teacher, homeschooler and mom so I feel qualified to comment on this clever and fun children’s book. It deals with adoption and “fitting in,” and when you are a shape, that’s more than just an adorable pun.

Henrietta is adopted by a big family of triangles. Mom, dad and four kids. That’s important, but why is a secret you’ll have to learn by reading the book. The illustrations are sweet and bright. Henrietta’s search for “hexagons like her” is a little sad and just a tiny bit scary but still amusing and entertaining. She thinks she has failed by the time she drags herself home. Little does she know …

My husband and I were stuck at a Verizon store for quite awhile trying to get our aircard fixed. A man was there trying to get his account straightened out and also manage his two small girls. I was so glad I had this book on my Kindle Fire to show them. They enjoyed it (at least the one who could talk did) and I know other children, parents and teachers will as well. It’s a wonderful storybook cleverly written and illustrated.

http://www.amazon.com/Henrietta-Triangles-Childrens-adoption-ebook/dp/B0079OK3T8

 

Wacky Presidential Primaries; Part 2

Yesterday we posted a beginning to zany, wacky things going on in the Presidential Primaries. I figured this would be a series going on into or past the general election. Little did I realize that Part Two would be the next day.

The State of Georgia challenged Obama’s eligibility to be on the ballot. Obama was issued a subpoena which he ignored. Judge Halihi ruled that Obama’s birth certificate is valid. Secretary of State Brian Kemp ruled on February 11, 2012 that Obama may appear on Georgia’s ballot because the birth certificate Obama presented is valid and that he is a natural born citizen.

Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich both failed to qualify for the Virginia primary ballot. This was not due to the 10,000 signature threshold, but due to the 400 signatures required in each of Virginia’s congressional districts. Perhaps Ron Paul and Mitt Romney signed all the registered Republicans in Alexandria?

Rick Santorum was told on February 3 that challenges to signatures on his Indiana filing left him 8 votes short of enough to qualify to be on the ballot. There is a legal question of write-in.

If Indiana and Virginia supporters of Rick Santorum are not allowed to write his name in, then their best strategy is to vote for Ron Paul. That would take delegates away from Mitt Romney and give them to a candidate who has no chance of winning.

Anticipating this strategy, some members of the RNC announced today that if the convention is brokered, that is no one wins on the first ballot, they would “look to someone else.” If Mitt Romney loses Michigan (likely, probable) and stays in the race (also likely, probable) and neither Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul support one of the two leaders, then a brokered convention is expected.

The Presidential Primaries as of February 2012

This round of Republican Primaries is called wacky, zany, strange, unpredictable and frustrating. It is also the most important election in my lifetime (born 1956). There is no way I can predict tomorrow, much less the election, so this is just a collection of wacky observations of others. These are more or less random thoughts of insanity. I am not documenting any of this, because it is so crazy and might be completely different even before we can publish this.

Newt Gingrich is in the lead in the polls in Georgia, Alabama and California. Ron Paul had a brief lead in Texas, but I could not verify that. Rick Santorum leads in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois (At this time it does not matter. Illinois votes March 20). Mitt Romney is expected to sweep the “Mormon Corridor” (Arizona, Utah and Idaho). Who came up with that name? I know a lot of people in Idaho. They are all voting for Ron Paul. At least, that’s what they say. New York is equally divided between Rick Santorum (upstate), Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich (NYC).

The RNC has not yet taken action against Florida for awarding Mitt Romney a “winner-takes-all” of 50 delegates. The RNC rules require all elections before April first to be proportional. Arizona is also going to award delegates as winner-take-all. Steps the RNC is considering are: 1) Refuse to seat the Florida and Arizona delegates in the first round of voting. 2) Simply award Florida and Arizona’s delegate votes proportionally regardless of how the actual delegates vote. 3) File lawsuits against Florida and Arizona. I believe what will actually happen is: 4) nothing. The Arizona and Florida delegates will roll into Tampa and vote as if nothing happened.

Conservative, pro-family, anti-birth control Rick Santorum was just endorsed by the Rock Group Megadeth. (Eh?) Mitt Romney is reportedly outspending Rick Santorum more than 100:1. Yahoo just predicted Obama would win re-election 303 to 235. It’s a computer model, so it must be wrong. The Federal-spending limit will be reached in October, 2012. Newt Gingrich has pledged to stay in the race until the convention “no matter what.” What does that mean? Hillary Clinton reportedly wants out of the Obama administration. Does she seriously want to head the World Bank?

Head to head polls have Rick Santorum as the only Republican candidate to defeat Barak Obama. Will that hold? Unemployment, which includes those who have stopped looking for work, is around 20%. Figures which include the underemployed put the rate over 40%. Voters under 25 years old are very discouraged and not likely to vote for anyone. This is horrible news for liberals not at the top of the ticket. This is their primary voting block.

Personal freedom and moral values are listed as the driving forces for the vast majority of voters, Democrat as well as Republican. Economics is second, foreign policy, including wars, is third.

Every single one of these points could change before this is published. Interesting.

Planned Parenthood

Rush Limbaugh uses the term “seminar caller” for those who get together to plan how to attack his radio show. At one time Planned Parenthood had actual seminars on how to attack their opposition. These tactics have proved so successful that many others have adopted them.

About 1988 our family attended a pro-life rally under the Arch in St. Louis, MO, along with over 60,000 other people. John Ashcroft was governor at that time. Across the street, a few dozen pro-abortion protesters yelled and screamed. The news media, notably National Public Radio, pretended the pro-lifers did not exist. Very careful editing turned the pro-abortion protesters into “nearly two hundred.” This was my first experience with “planned parenthood tactics.”

To overcome some objections to an abortion, all women who came to Planned Parenthood were counseled to claim that they were raped. This lie also made it easier to tell more lies. The next tactic to use in overcoming opposition to abortion is for the “pro-choice” advocate to make an emotional, personal statement and attack the pro-life dissenter. When the pro-life advocate defends his or her position with facts, the abortion supporter must, as loudly as possible, claim to be a victim being attacked by the pro-lifer.

These tactics are simple, evil, and, in the political world, commonly used and highly effective. Because they are so effective an objective observer can see the method repeated in many issues. Tell whatever “white lie” makes the position acceptable to the largest audience. An emotional charge follows, the more inflammatory the better. Attack the opposition for presenting facts in his defense and claim to be a victim. Repeat until the person you are attacking is worn down and quits.

Why Him? Why Now? A Review of Messages by John Michael Hileman

Messages is described as a “fictional allegory,” similar to a parable. A parable uses physical elements to teach a spiritual lesson. David Chance develops a sudden “talent.” Words stand out in posters, newspapers, even movie titles, and give him “messages.” Some might object to these extrabiblical revelations. The story has plenty of Scripture and biblical teaching and the “messages” don’t teach doctrine. They really just push the adventure and mystery along.

Just one example, the $400 incident, is a brilliant detail. Don’t forget the $400. The full “Why Him? Why now?” mystery isn’t explained until almost the end of the book. He is an ordinary man but providentially placed for the “Why Now?” of terrorists, hidden bombs and presidential assassination. Revealing these story elements isn’t giving away the real surprises in the story. There are many, and they really keep the reader adrenalin-buzzed and zig-zagging right along with poor David.

“Why him?” It’s a case of “be careful what you wish for.” Or what you beg for, and pray for. When the response to his plea to understand God comes David learns how far from ready he is. Fortunately godly counsel is only a phone call away, even in the most extreme circumstances. The fact that part of David’s extraordinary quest involves keeping his godly counselor alive is another brilliant detail.

This story examines a favorite theme of mine, how a person can believe he’s “good enough,” or other people are, until reality jars that nonsense out of his head. Who can you trust? Who are the good guys and the bad guys? In the end, David realizes that goodness, and trustworthiness, and faith, are not things for which man alone has the answers.

The Prayer Networks

“Pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

When we first joined Facebook, it was simply to keep in touch with our children in their far-flung adventures (and ours). Eventually we began to make friends there, usually people we knew in “real” life and in some cases hadn’t seen in many years. It was nice to reconnect. Gradually we made other friends, what I call “digital-only” friends. We haven’t actually met them or had any live communication. We are Facebook (or Goodreads, or blog post, or Twitter) friends only.

I had one Facebook friend who for awhile felt a little like a stalker. It was really just that she knew very little about something we were both interested in, writing and publishing, and I knew more, so she asked a lot of questions. In no way did I feel threatened by her, or worried that she would try to kill me if I didn’t get right back to her when she messaged me.

Yesterday I read an article about a couple murdered in their home. When they arrested two suspects, the Sheriff said that these people were killed because they had “unfriended” the daughter of one of the suspects. The other suspect had an “attraction” for the daughter of the man he assisted in committing murder.

The Sheriff said this was not the first time this woman “could not handle it” when she thought she was being ignored or slighted. She had been accused of stalking and harassing another woman who failed to pay attention to her on social networking. Her father said she “lived” on Facebook. It was all she did.

A previous complaint against the woman, who apparently got her father and a wannabe boyfriend to commit murder for the sake of her bruised ego, was made by a woman she stalked online and by phone. The complaint said that the woman being stalked didn’t even know the stalker personally.

Instead of lashing out in anger or stalking people in my social network when I don’t hear from them, or hear from them a little more often than is comfortable, I pray for them. I pray for those who need jobs, those enduring separation from family because of military service, those struggling to get a book published, those with ongoing medical problems, those struggling with disobedient children or unsaved spouses. We have friends who are missionaries, short term or long-term, around the world. We have others having marital problems. We have met people in countries where it’s difficult to get books, to figure out where to buy them from, even online. I even pray for people who don’t believe prayer does any good.

One of those friends recently seemed to be having a very bad time with family and health problems. She cried out on several sites we both belong to, and the answer was almost universally, from whatever site, whoever responded, “We are praying for you. God comfort and help you. Please know that we care.” Nobody was angry with her for pouring her heart out in near-despair. Everyone has problems, but everyone who knows Christ knows that even though we call it a Social Network, we can make it a Prayer Network, anytime, anywhere.

How to Write a Book Review the Author Will Love

I am a big classics fan. I have, however, recently begun reviewing book by modern authors, and especially Indie writers, some of whom I’ve become friends and acquaintances with through author and reader sites I have joined.

I have gotten good responses from the authors so far, even if I gave them the dreaded “three out of five stars.” One who was at first very unhappy with her three stars admitted that it was a very good review, she liked it, and she quotes from it as she promotes. Another author said she loved my review so much it made her cry. It’s the only five star I’ve given so far, and she really deserved it.

I’m going to use Tale of Two Cities as an example of how to write a book review by reviewing it. Mr. Dickens won’t mind.

First, an author wants you to find out the solution of his book’s mystery by reading it, not by the reviewer giving it away. In Tale of Two Cities, why in the world does that drunken lowlife Sidney Carton get to hang around sweet Lucie the whole book, almost?

The author does want the reviewer make readers interested, though. So I will just mention that Sidney has a much bigger part to play than just standing up in court looking remarkably like Charles Darnay, thus saving his life.

Second, the author wants the reviewer to get readers to like the people in the story. For this example, let me introduce you to Mr. Lorry. Mr. Lorry represents an ancient, trustworthy, boring bank, but Mr. Lorry is hardly boring. He’s vain about his fine calves, though he’s past sixty. He rescues a parentless child although he says he is “merely a man of business.” He warns off a most unsuitable suitor, protecting a young lady from an arrogant and disgusting predator. He goes along with an unknown plot for an impossible rescue. This can hardly be a service to the bank he has served his whole life, but is an extraordinary example of compassion and courage.

Third, the author knows his book isn’t perfect, though he loves it as his own child. He doesn’t mind if you tell people imperfections, as long as you are honest and have good reasons. Tale of Two Cities, like most of Dickens’ works, is very wordy. I don’t care how many people say he wasn’t paid by the word, he was. He wrote serials. He had to pad out the work to fill a certain amount space in a magazine and make a cliffhanger out of every installment to get people to keep reading. That’s a guaranteed recipe for wordiness. Some of Dickens’ books are much longer than this one, but a modern editor would certainly be chafing to trim it down. I know as a former editor I would.

Fourth, a reviewer needs to warn readers if there is material not suitable for certain ages or groups. Dickens describes people in grinding poverty virtually starving to death before our eyes. He has a careless nobleman run his cart over a small child. The noble gentleman cares nothing about it except to try to throw a coin at the father and ask why he makes such an infernal noise. People are beaten and beheaded and described as blood-covered and murderously enraged. Sometimes just the sheer callousness and indifference toward death is hard to take. However jaded young readers might be today, it’s still not the best thing for very young readers. There is no real sex. Reference is made to breasts but only for nursing children.

In conclusion, I give Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities a four out of five, because I think he could have written a better story without so many words. Otherwise, it’s probably my favorite fictional work of all time.

Paul as VP for Santorum?

Jackie Kennedy believed LBJ killed JFK. Rick Santorum does not have to fear assassination by Ron Paul but the ticket above proves people don’t have to like each other to work together. Let’s examine the strengths and weaknesses of Ron Paul as a running mate for Rick Santorum.

Rick Santorum did not qualify for the ballots in every state, while Ron Paul has. Voters in states like Indiana and Virginia, where Santorum is not on the ballot, might be persuade to vote for Paul if they understand it will be a vote for Santorum. One often-repeated argument against Santorum is that he does not have a national organization. Ron Paul does, and if they combined forces it would convince people both that Santorum has a national organization and that he is willing to make reasonable sacrifices necessary to win the race.

If Santorum is the nominee he would likely follow tradition and announce his running mate during the convention. He would want to pick someone best able to help him win the general election. He would also like to pick someone he believes to be the best possible candidate to run the country if he were to die in office. In the case of George Bush Sr. under Ronald Reagan, Bush was groomed as a successor. At age 76 now, Paul would be 84 after two terms with Santorum. It is therefore extremely unlikely that he would ever become president himself. Considering their policy disagreements, Rick Santorum might look at this as a plus.

Running as Vice President under Rick Santorum, Paul has a better chance to see some of his policies put into place. With one exception on the domestic side, Santorum and Paul have very similar policies. Ron Paul’s auditing of the Fed is a good idea for Santorum to adopt. Paul wants to eliminate more federal agencies and cut the budget more even than does Santorum. This is also a good thing.

Ron Paul is in the race on principle. He has principles that he wants put into place because he loves America. He thinks that these policies are the best thing for America. He also understands that if he runs on his own, very few of these policies will be put into place, since his real chances of winning are small. If Mitt Romney wins the nomination, or even Gingrich, few or none of Paul’s policies will become reality.

It is very doubtful that Santorum would even consider legalizing drugs like Paul, and this is the greatest point of contention between the two. Rick Santorum’s military and general foreign policy and position on Israel are well know through his substantial voting record in the U.S. Senate. These are likely to be the most difficult areas for Ron Paul and his supporters to accept.

Any politician knows there are three types of voters. First are the voters who support him. Second are those against him or for his opposition. Third are various degrees of undecided. At the beginning of an election cycle undecided is the largest block. Most politicians look for ways to sway those undecideds to themselves.

Many Ron Paul voters have said they will vote for Obama if Ron Paul is not on the ticket. To the average person this does not appear to be entirely rational thinking. But having Paul on the ticket, even if not all his policies get put in place, means Obama loses. If some of Ron Paul’s crazier policies do not become reality, this may not be a bad thing, even for those who think they want them.

Apart from any policy considerations, a very realistic assessment is that it will take both Ron Paul’s and Rick Santorum’s supporters to defeat Obama.

Grace and Salt on Twitter (And some Light, Too, I Hope)

(Pictured above are Rex, Nessie, Sonny and Sis from the Disciplesaurs Puppet Play Series)

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Colossians 4:6).

Someone shared a link on Facebook the other day, in an authors’ group to which I belong, and said it scared her. The blog post was about reasons why the writer might “block” someone on Twitter. I am so new on Twitter I don’t even know how to block someone, but when I went to read the post it didn’t tell me how to block anybody.

It did, however, berate anyone who promotes something that might be good and valuable, such as when I post a link to one of our books or those of another author. It also demanded that we not talk about anything that might be important or relevant, like politics or religion. In other words, don’t bother me with anything that might matter. I want my social media fluffy and self-centered.

So, I guess I won’t trip over my tongue running to Twitter to follow that blogger. I want my Twitter experience to be something beyond entertainment. I did take away some good advice from that post, however. I tend to post and retweet and copy tweets from files of people whom I want to support but leave it at that. The writer suggested I be conversational.

Uh-oh. My Twitterland experience must broaden. First I had to make my own Tweets. Now I have to make conversations. And I have to do it in 140 characters or less. Oh, wait, I’m kind of already doing that, I think. When someone retweets my tweets, or tells people they should follow me, or even becomes a follower, I make it a point to say thank you. That’s a tiny conversation.

(Pictured above is a scene from “It Ain’t Gonna Rain,” one of the Different View Bible stories Puppet Plays.)

I sometimes even show that I’m paying attention to who they are and what their profile says. One new follower has a focus on educational materials for younger children. I responded that I had written puppet plays about a dinosaur family and about animals telling Bible stories from their points of view. Another claimed to be an Ogre but said, instead of eating people, he ate vegetables. I thanked him for eating vegetables.

The politics and religion and sharing good authors will stay. If you’re offended, unfollow, bock, whatever. Because when it comes to Twitter, and everything else I do, I don’t just do it to socialize. It may be social media to you, but to me it’s another way to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Wanna follow me on Twitter? @MaryCFindley.

Facebook Etiquette

“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” Proverbs 17:14 NIV 1984

Etiquette puts the desire to be inoffensive above your own wants and desires. While this is not a complete list, the following rules will help you be more civil in your facebook discussion.

1) Gossip is a sin. Since facebook is very, very public, anything you post on facebook can be viewed by anyone in the world. Simply do not post anything you don’t want the whole world to know.

2) Be kind. This sounds simple enough, and each of us believes that he/she is kind. Here are a few simple rules to help us be more kind. a) Do not make instant responses. We should always give some thought to our comments instead of just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. b) Also, reread your comment completely before responding. Even if you make a serious error and delete your post, someone might read the mistaken post before you are able to delete it.

(A good book along this line is “Eats, shoots, and leaves: Why commas really do make a difference.” A Panda walks into a restaurant, orders food, eats it, pulls out a gun, shoots and then walks out the door. A waiter asks, “Why did you do that?” “Because I am a Panda,” and hands the waiter a wildlife brochure with an extra comma in it. http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Commas-Difference/dp/0399244913 )

3) Read carefully and completely the post or comment you intend to comment on before commenting. While this seems simple and basic, violation of this simple point is the major reason for quarrels on facebook. Most angry commenters obviously did not read, or at least understand, the comment they are angry about.

4) Avoid the “I am holier than thou” attitude. This is usually the result of believing that you are right, the other person is wrong, and that he/she must be corrected. This could simply be a misunderstanding, so be careful to reread what you are commenting on (see point 3). If you have reread the post or comment, you are certain that you disagree with the post or comment and you have paused long enough to allow your response to be a proper response, you should remember that your purpose is to win the person over.

5) If possible, try to leave a person you disagree with an “out.”

6) Do not mock. This is out of control on facebook. You find a picture, cartoon or statement you think is hilarious and you repost it. Someone else is enraged and open warfare ensues.

7) Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The Golden Rule, given by Jesus Christ himself.

 

Our Newest Baby Book: Diary of a Christian Dog

 

This novella is an excerpt from Hope and the Knight of the Black Lion. It is written as the diary of  a crusader who was shipwrecked following the armada of Louis IX to Alexandria. He is disillusioned with his “holy quest” and sick of his adventure. Suddenly he is faced with the choice of renouncing his people or being executed. Terror and turmoil fill his life. Even when he finds peace, slavery and torture stand in the way of his new quest to locate his lost friend and return home to his father. 99 Cents on Amazon and Smashwords, free as a pdf on Scribd.

http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Christian-Dog-ebook/dp/B0074D5D26

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/128706

http://www.scribd.com/doc/80188123/Diary-Scribd

Ever Faithful — Guest Post by Author Staci Stallings

For many years of my life, I wanted to be successful. I put a lot of effort into that endeavor. I worked and worked and worked. If I joined an organization, I had to be president because I wanted the organization to be successful and I wanted to be seen as a success in the organization. Success was my goal.

After I started writing, I turned my success-orientation toward God. I wanted to be a success for Him. Somehow I thought that would prove to Him I was worthy of His love and gain me a place in His kingdom. I wanted Him to love me, and I thought the only way He would love me was if I was a success. Sad how some of us get so mixed up like that.

It took seven years of writing, three years of publishing, and a gentle re-direct from God for me to see how wrong I had been the whole time. As always, I had been working and working and working, trying to get the publishing and marketing to work out. I put an enormous amount of time and effort into that endeavor. Still, things were not pointing toward me being a success. Even when I had successes, they were too small for me to acknowledge, and so I called them failures and resolved to do better.

When I finally woke up to see that what I was doing was not what God required of me—that He didn’t require me to be a success for Him to love me—that was truly a revelation. In a very real way He saved me from me!

Since then, lesson-by-lesson, I have learned to let go of doing it myself and to let Him take over the controls of my life. Not always easy for a control-freak, but by far the easier way to live once you get the hang of it.

The other night in a sermon, God spoke to me in a way that made me smile. The pastor said, “God doesn’t require you to be a success. He only requires that you be faithful.” Well, that’s about as direct a message as you could get.

However, would I have heard those words ten years ago? Probably not, but they sure resonated with me the other night.
The amazing thing is that a friend of mine and I have been talking about this very thing—being faithful. She said, “What I am learning is that God doesn’t even require us to be faithful because our faithfulness is imperfect. God simply wants to show us His faithfulness.”

Wow! Not only do I not have to be a success to gain God’s approval, I don’t even have to be perfectly faithful to gain God’s approval! The more I thought about this, the clearer it became. Over and over and over again, God has shown me, “Staci, even when you fall, even when you’re discouraged, even when you feel like a failure, even when you’re scared, I am here—loving you, cheering you on, giving you Me.”

With that understanding, how then, I ask you, could I ever feel like a failure? How could I ever think I was anything less than a success? And it has nothing at all to do with me. It has nothing to do with my performance, my plans, my control, my abilities, my knowledge, my understanding. It’s all about Him.

His performance, His plans, His control, His abilities. His knowledge, His understanding, His wisdom, His love, His mercy. His faithfulness.

In a very real way, all He asks of me is that I take a step back from me, look to Him, and marvel at His faithfulness. He is ever faithful to me. Not sometimes faithful. Not faithful when it’s easy or convenient. He is EVER faithful!

Just as He is ever loving. And if I let my worth be based not on me but on Him, then I’m already a success.

Isn’t He the coolest?

Copyright Staci Stallings 2006

Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a Contemporary Christian author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. Staci has a special surprise for you today and tomorrow only…

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A Brief History of Baptists

There are different ways to approach a history of Baptists. One is by studying the Chronology, Creeds, and Organizations. Another way is by comparing the beliefs and looking for similarities and differences among different groups. “The Trail of Blood” http://www.biblepreaching.com/trailofblood.html uses this second method. Some of the groups it mentions are Donatists, Walendsians Petrobrusians and Anabaptists. The position of the Trail of Blood is that these groups make a trail of belief back to John the Baptist. They are looking for a connection in belief rather than organic unity, as opposed to the Catholic and Orthodox churches which rely on organizational ties and connections (Pope to Pope, Patriarch to Patriarch, for example.)

Another method is by using a combination approach of the first two methods. I will use this method and be dealing with American Baptists. American Baptists begin with Roger Williams and the New Providence Colony. The Pilgrims were English Separatists. Separatists did not think the Church of England could be fixed and so they “separated” from it. The Massachusetts Colony consisted of Puritans. Puritans wanted to remain in the Church of England and “purify” it from errors they saw.

Roger Williams was an ordained Puritan Minister in Massachusetts. He went to England and obtained a charter for a new colony. He paid Indians for their land. He had many people who were thrown out of other colonies join him as refugees. He searched the Scriptures to learn what they taught about Church government and set up a congregational form. He closely followed the Puritan/Separatist form of church government.

The individual congregations owned their property. There was no denominational or outside organization. As Americans expanded westward many others accepted this Baptist belief or system. They merged with German Anabaptists, though the true German Anabaptists are represented today by the Amish/Mennonite communities, over 10 million strong in North America.

The Philadelphia Confession of Faith is the major American Baptist statement of faith. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/phila.htm  ” On this site it gives two dates. “The Philadelphia Confession is identical to the Second London Confession of Faith (1689), except that chapters 23 and 31 have been added (with other chapters appropriately renumbered). This [more recent] confession was first issued by the Philadelphia Association in 1742.”

Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists were the three major denominations as Americans moved westward. Methodists emphasized Arminianism with camp meetings and well-educated clergy, creating a shortage of pastors and the Circuit Rider with many small congregations.

Presbyterians also emphasized well-educated clergy and Calvinism. They were likely to be found in more established towns but less likely on the frontier. Both Methodists and Presbyterians had denominational ownership of property and denominationally-appointed clergy.

Baptists were often Calvinistic but varied widely. Freewill Baptists opposed Calvinism and Predestination. They often cooperated with Methodists in evangelistic meetings because they both believed in the need to make a decision for salvation rather than predestination.

 

Each Baptists congregation calls and pays its own pastor unlike the other denominations. At one time this was true of all Baptist churches but it caused severe problems in raising missionary support. Associations were created to raise missionary support. The largest is the Southern Baptist Convention. Northern Baptist Churches split from Southern Baptist Churches during the Civil War. The Northern Baptists from this split came to be known as the General Association of Regular Baptists. There are many other Baptist conventions/associations.

Two good reference sources on Baptists are:

Dr. David Beale’s book, In Pursuit of Purity http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Purity-Soft-David-Beale/dp/0890843503 Is a very good source on Baptists.

George W. Dollar The History of Fundamentalism in America http://www.amazon.com/History-Fundamentalism-America-George-Dollar/dp/B0000EEKZL

 

 

Two Mommies?

All across the Internet articles are appearing with the titles are “Two Mommies” or “Three Parents.” Of course these emotionally charged titles are not quite telling the whole story. Human testing has been requested on a procedure that is successful in eradicating some genetic diseases in mice, rats and larger animals.

I would normally link to the original story, but these accounts are so full of highly charged Secular Humanist bias that it is difficult to read the account objectively.

When a woman’s egg is fertilized, there is DNA in the nucleus which is a combination of the DNA of the mother and father. DNA outside of the nucleus, known as mitochondrial DNA is only the mother’s DNA. The new baby comes from the DNA in the nucleus. Mitochondrial DNA controls how the cell works. When this Mitochondrial DNA is defective, genetic deficits are transmitted to the child.

A new technique has proved effective in mice, rats and primates in eradicating some genetic defects. It assumes that the Doctor knows which genetic diseases are contained entirely in the Mitochondrial DNA. It also assumes this is a moral procedure.

A fertilized human egg from a woman with diseased mitochondrial DNA has the fertilized nucleus removed. An unfertilized human egg from a woman with nondiseased Mitochondrial DNA has the nucleus removed and discarded. The fertilized human nucleus is then implanted in the nondiseased egg and reimplanted in the original woman with diseased Mitochondrial DNA. A normal healthy child is born. Without this procedure, the child is likely to have a genetic defect, such as Downs Syndrome.

Is it ethical? Is it moral? Is it adultery?

Belief Excerpts from Antidisestablishmentarianism I from Chapter 11. What Is Science to a Secular Humanist?

Like any religion which enthrones man in God’s place, there is a desperate and irrational need to attack true religion. “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence,”³ says Richard Dawkins. In the Bible, in the founding documents of US history and in the US court system prior to the liberal takeover, belief was (and still is in reality) a legal term. Belief is the decision of a juror based on evidence. Faith is the action one takes based on belief based on tested evidence. The modern Secular Humanist twists the word “faith ” to mean the opposite of its historical definition. “Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.”⁴ This is the “blind leap of faith ” of Karl Barth and neo-orthodoxy, not the historic meaning of faith found in the Bible and US history.

The faith of the secularist, which is truly “in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence,” has a religious belief that the material universe is all that is, was or ever will be. The material universe is the ultimate reality. “Who is more humble?” asked Carl Sagan, “The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book [the Bible] must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?”⁵ Sagan is pretending humility while arrogantly dismissing the possibility that God might have actually written down His words out of love for his creation.

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1 Pierre Charron, De la sagesse (Of Wisdom, In Three Parts), French version, 1601, Translated by Samson Lennard, Eliot’s Court Press for Edward Blount and Will, Aspley, London, c.1615.

2 Charles Watts, “The Secularist’s Catechism,” complied in an undated book published by Watts & Co. entitled: Pamphlets by Charles Watts, Vol. I, originally written in 1896.

3 Richard Dawkins, from a speech at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, April 15, 1992.

4 Dawkins, The Richard Dimbleby Lecture: “Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder,” BBC1 Television November 12, 1996.

5 Carl Sagan, in an interview with Charlie Rose, late-night PBS talk show host, 1996.

What is Salvation?

“The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10)

Since we are all sinners, we need to have our sins atoned for. Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God “gave his life a ransom for many.”

First we must recognize that we are sinners in need of salvation. Then we must understand that as a sinner there is nothing we can do to atone for our own sin or bring about our own salvation. But salvation is like a marriage, it is not a 50%/50% relationship, it is a 100%/100% relationship.

Though salvation is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5) we still have total responsibility to serve God. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)

Our works are technically called Sanctification, since only God can work the work of Salvation.

God also commands us to be fruit inspectors. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) But we must be very careful to be guided by God’s Holy Spirit. The parable of the wheat and the tares illustrates our difficulty. Tares are a variety of weed which look very much like wheat until the time comes to produce seeds. The Bible teaches us that seemingly wicked men, such as Abraham’s nephew Lot are actually righteous. Others that appear to be righteous, even talking with God, such as Balaam, are actually evil. In the matter of salvation, we must be very careful to “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

The fruit (works) we are to look for is a love for the Lord, a desire to fulfill the great commission and the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith).

Our beliefs on the doctrine of salvation are written down in detail in our books, Findley Family Video Biblical Studies and Antidisestablishmentarianism. The Biblical Studies books are written for homeschool so there is a student and a teacher’s edition. The only difference is that the teacher’s edition contains the answers. They include our commentary on Great Doctrines of the Bible by Evans. All of these are available in ebook format and all four books (Our three and Evans, which can be obtained free online) can be purchased for less then $10 total.

They Got More Than Hannah’s Blessing — A review of Hannah’s Blessing by Collette Scott

If any contemporary romance gave excellent advice to its readers, it’s this one. It tells lovers, and readers, not to make assumptions. It reminded me a lot of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. There is a small amount of language and non-graphic sexual reference in the book dealt with appropriately for any adult or young adult reader.

I mostly read romance because I write romance. Sometimes after I finish one I want that piece of my life back. This one charmed me from beginning to end. Collette Scott writes about real people. The book explores the consequences of our assumption-making. It also makes an excellent point about how many people we can affect or hurt with the best of intentions. There are so many fun and interesting secondary characters in the book.

Diana, the main character, starts the story as a wronged woman. The fate of her husband was a perfect “let the punishment fit the crime” irony. The title character, their daughter Hannah, unwittingly brings into Diana’s life her late husband’s stepbrother, Devlan, who has made his niece his sole heir. Devlan’s rich, handsome, brilliant, successful, and yet can’t manage to communicate clearly to the one person in the world who matters most. It’s not Hannah. She loves, trusts, and relies on him with all the sweet innocence of a child in spite of his social blunders.

Diana is deeply wounded after six years of marriage to the wrong brother. She has listened to lies, tried to trust, and felt the pain of betrayal too long. Devlan, experienced with business, celebrity and all the rest of life, is too inexperienced with “real” women to win her trust. Diana is a runner, and how and why she runs from Devlan is pretty stunning. How and why he finally decides it’s time to chase her, and how that turns out is also stunning.

http://www.amazon.com/Hannahs-Blessing-Collette-Scott/dp/1463539967